CPM M-4 Military, who wants one?

J

Joshua J.

Joined
Feb 27, 2005
Messages
3,986
Just for the heck of it.

Let's see how many people would want a CPM M-4 Military.

Starting with me, because I want one.
 
I'm looking foreward to trying out CPM M4 at some point. Wether the Military, a muleteam blade, or a big chopper doesn't matter. I'll get it sometime, one way or another. It is expensive stuff BTW. It costs to buy, to work it, and to heat treat it. It's non stainless also, which doesn't bother me. I don't know if that's a hinderance business wise. There are lots of other steels I'd like to try as well. Joe
 
There must just be a "manufacturer's boycott" of Crucible's M-4 :confused:. I say that in a facetious mode but it does seem strange that there aren't already many blades made with this new tool steel. This blade steel has been ready to go for over a year and half but yet the knife makers seem to be reticent to make a knife with it :confused:

I went to a Seminar put on by Crucible about this great Blade steel and I'm convinced that it would be a great steel.

It seems like Crucible really put a lot of testing and "R&D" into this newer tool steel.
 
It's expensive, and needs the kind of heat treatment a HSS needs.It's difficult and expensive to grind, and needs laser cutting, no stamping for this steel. It is also non stainless. All strikes against it in production quantities.

Not many are using S90V either, and it's stainless. Microtech is the only production company that has used S90V yet, and that was a small run. Spyderco will be breaking ground with it when the sprint comes out.

M4, 10V, and even now S125V are in the realm of a few custom makers, not that many ( very, very few for S125V, Phil Wilson stated he'd rather hit his finger with a hammer than use S125V any more).

Of course there's always vascowear/cruwear:) or even Super blue carbon/tungsten steel. They would be perfect for the millie or manix, or things like the big calypso :D Joe
 
Mastiff, You are right I did say that but in reflection I may have been a little too sarcastic. The more I work with it (CPM 125V) the better I like it. The biggest problem is that when working down in grit from say 80 grit Norton Hogger to finer grits, the finer grits just do not cut any more. So to get a reasonable finish on it for looks and corrosion resistance it has to be hand sanded to a satin finish. This is just a lot of work and hard on the hands. Maybe someone out there can figure out a better method for finish. It is in the category with 10V for edge holding and is stainless as a bonus. I still have enough to last for maybe 30 knives and I intend to use it up over the next few years. I know Crucible has some in stock in Texas if anyone wants to give it a try. M4 looks like it would perform in the 10V category, I may get around to trying some but again there are so many steels out there now... Phil
 
Phil, If I could afford a Phil Wilson custom I'd tell you to send it to me for hand sanding. That's one of the few things I can still do but aside from that what about stone washing/bead blasting it? It has so much promise I hope someone gets it into circulation if not production. Farid knives is the only one I know advertising S125V ( as well as T1) but I've not seen anything but T1 knives of his with my own eyes so I don't know how he finishes them. Regards, Joe
 
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